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Search And Destroy
Eliminate these wordy phrases from your manuscript.
The editors at The Isis Group put together this list of phrases that they believe should automatically be eliminated from every manuscript or grant they edit.
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Posted on: 29th September 2013
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0 thoughts on “Search And Destroy”
Your post is very meaningful .
Of course, one should also eliminate redundancies — for example, there’s no need to include “take into consideration > consider” twice on this list.
this is a very helpful post. tnx.
I’m so excited to improve the minutes of the meeting I make for our organization.
This is great! Many years ago, I worked with an editor who had taken “Gunnels Clear Writing Course,” which was based on removing wordy and complicated phrases, as is this premise. Of course, we were writing and rewriting technical documents and proposals. Mr. Gunnel’s training was a great help, and eliminated many pages of blah-blah!
But wait! “Typically” is an adverb!
Seriously, though, it’s not about using more words or fewer words; it’s about using the right words.
Gosh! I must be really “old School” for I actually LIKE a lot of those phrases. Short, succinct phrases are needed in technical journals and non fiction , factual reports. But in fiction, words have a much bigger purpose than just conveying meaning! Words create impact, they generate visual imagery, they arouse emotions! Imagine Darcy telling Elizabeth( Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen) ” I want to marry you even though you are poor”, Yes or No? 🙂
How about opening phrases? “Our Founders believed,” for example and I especially hate, “I like Black people, but…” or “Some of my best friends are Gay, but…..” Church members
, “We are supposed to love everybody. However……..”
This was helpful. I always write too much to the point where it’s uneccesarry